By Charles Randall

9 June 2013

The Club Cricket Conference and Wiltshire left-arm seamer Tahir Afridi took four clean-bowled wickets in four balls as Henley CC maintained a blistering start to their Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League Division One season.

Afridi, formerly at Ealing, lopped off the Tring Park tail on 159 and set up a comfortable seven-wicket home victory, Henley's fourth in four games. Only the previous week a hat-trick by Ashton Agar, all leg before wicket, had sealed the fate of newly promoted North Mymms at the Brakspear Ground. It must be rare for a side to celebrate hat-tricks on successive weekends, let alone at this top level.

All Afridi's victims were bowled off stump or near, starting with Tom Helm, the Chesham seam-bowler signed by Middlesex this season, and finishing with figures of 5-15 off 8.4 overs. Henley's Western Australia left-arm spinner Agar, 19, took his wickets with arm balls and departed for Australia A duty having made a big impact in a short stay.

Henley built up a useful lead at the top of the HCPL table in the first season of a mixed limited overs and restricted over format. Harpenden, captained by Nick Lamb, son of the former ECB chief executive Tim Lamb, were the nearest pursuers 19 points behind. High Wycombe lost their first three games in a severe setback to their chance of retaining the title.

In Division Two East the early leaders were Radlett, captained by the former Henley and Hampshire batsman Jonathan McLean, chalking up four wins to go 19 points ahead of Hemel Hempstead. Division Two West was headed by Oxford, hoping to bounce straight back up to Division One. They led Gerrards Cross and the surprise packets Great & Little Tew.